The trouble with boards.

Without the worries of tuition looming over her Abby was able to slow down some, which in its own was a good thing. She turned her attention more to her med student studies as she started to prepare to take the medical boards.

She had given in some to Carter and allowed him to have his request of moving in and taking their relationship to another plain. She wasn't thrilled with it, but it seemed to make him happy and right now as long as they were both happy she didn't see anything wrong with it.

She was sitting snacking on some chips with her nose in a book as she worked on reviewing the material that would probably be on the damn test. She was not looking forward to this giant comprehensive exam that covered everything that she had learned in the last four years.

Carter came home from work, tossing his things onto the table by the door, "studying hard?" He half asked as he noticed she was sitting with her nose in yet another book.

"Yeah I am." She said, "sorry."

"Nah, don't be sorry." He said, "I think I had my nose in a book all the time when I was getting ready to take them too."

"Yeah is it too late to change my mind about all of this?" She joked softly with him.

"Yeah I would think that after you put in that fourth year there is no turning back from this."

Abby smiled at him softly now as she kept reading. "Whose bright idea was it to make you take a test that covers everything that you have learned in four years. You would think that they could break this up a little, give you half during the third year and then half during the fourth year."

"If they did that they would never weed anyone out." He said giving her a small smile. "You'll do just fine. I know that you will be able to relax here soon after you pass them with flying colors."

"Yeah," she said glancing quickly up at him and then back down into the book again, "I'm glad that you seem to think that."

Carter crossed over to where she was sitting and softly kissed the top of her head, "I have all the faith in the world in you Abby." He said, "you're a very bright woman when you want to be."

"When I want to be?" She said with an odd look on her face.

"When you want to be, you have a tendency to be stubborn, over analytical, to worry about things to much." He said. "You are going to be just fine."

She just shook her head. She had two weeks until she was scheduled to take the boards and she was nervous about the whole process. It was a lot that she had to try and remember and she didn't know if she could or would be able to remember it all.

The time flew by fast than Abby thought it would be and she just didn't think that she was ready to take the boards but the time for taking them had arrived. She stood outside where she was to check in and felt her hands shaking. She took a deep breath as she finished checking in and headed over to take the exams.

She paced herself taking her time as she answered them. She fought the urge to second guess herself cause she knew that usually your first instinct was the right one. After what felt like an eternity of reading and writing she finished her exam. She was not overly confident about how she had done.

She made the trip across town back to the apartment. She was tired and her head was pounding from having to take the tests. Tests had always stressed her out and this wasn't just any ordinary exam these were the boards and you had to pass them in order to practice medicine, it didn't matter if graduated or not, if you didn't pass the boards you couldn't continue on.

She walked up the stairs now heading for her home. Her feet seemed overly heavy now as she was second guessing several of the answers that she had put down on the exam. There was nothing that she could do about it now other than hope that she passed. She really needed to pass those boards.

The lights were off when she walked inside the apartment. She looked around and didn't see Carter but the smell that was emanating from the apartment where wonderful. "John?" She called out as she walked further inside.

Carter emerged from back near the bathroom. "Hey you." He said walking over and wrapping his arms around her pulling her into a hug.

"What's all this?" Abby asked.

"I thought that after your boards you deserved something special." Carter said taking her hand and leading her back towards the bathroom. "A bubble bath for you." He said.

The bathroom was full of soft burning candles creating a very relaxing atmosphere. There was soft music playing. It looked as if Carter had put a lot of thought into this, "it looks wonderful John." Abby said as she kicked off her shoes.

"Dinner is in the kitchen waiting for you when you finish your bath." Carter said, "but don't rush, if you want a three hour bath then you by all means take a three hour bath." He smiled softly at her now. "I want you to have some time to relax now."

She smiled at him as she watched him back out of the bathroom. She was surprised that he was going to leave the room, she didn't expect that. "Thank you Carter."

From the door way she heard him call back to her, "you're welcome Abby enjoy your bath." And with that he left her to the peace and quiet of the room.

Abby undressed and sank down into the hot water that was in the tub. It felt good to just unwind for a few minutes. She laid there closing off her mind so that she wasn't thinking of anything right now. And for the first time in months she was able to completely and totally unwind, forgetting about the boards. Right now she didn't have a care in the world.

She just floated there letting the warmth of the water. The house seemed so quiet right now and she didn't know how Carter had managed to make everything just so perfect right now. The smell in the bathroom right now was the perfect combination of Jasmine and Vanilla. She had nothing to complain about. Everything right now seemed absolutely perfect. She didn't know how long it would stay that way but right now Abby had no complaints.